Category: Mountain Hiking Basics

We tend to take pictures of nearly EVERYTHING, but sometimes we forget to take images of something actually USEFUL: for example a map!

Let me explain.

Normally we take a GPS device or (at least) a map with us when going on a hike, or day tour with our car. However sometimes we forget the GPS or simply don’t have a map of the region. In that case we look around at the place we start and most of the times (especially in well known, much visited (touristic) regions) we’ll find a large (wooden) signpost with a map. Very often such maps are placed in town squares, at car parks, along (hiking) trails, at cable railway stations or at mountain cabins for example.

In this post we’ll talk a bit about the things you need to know if you are going hiking in the mountains (for example the Alps, or the Welsh mountains), especially if it is your first time to the mountains!

Take it easy!

If you are a beginner, begin easy with a well marked tour, alpine huts on the way so you can always take a good rest, and don’t hike more than 2 – 3 hours. There are a lot of great and easy mountains to climb and places to visit in the mountains in every region, you won’t get bored. You’ll see, you will enjoy mountain hiking and climbing. That might be a cliché, I know, but it’s true. I just used my own experience. I started hiking small tours and built it up year by year. Year after year we climbed higher mountains and made even longer tours (up to 10 hours a day!). In the Hiking sections of each Country you’ll find nice routes for ‘beginners’.

In one minute, regularly give a visible and/or audible signal 6 times. Then wait one minute and repeat the previous signal. Keep doing that until you get an answer. If you receive such a signal, answer with this: in one minute, regularly give a visible and/or audible signal 3 times.

Visible Signalling

Both hands in the air mean: YES – we need help.

The right arm in the air, left arm down means: NO – we don’t need any help

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On this personal website you can find information about various countries, regions and places we have visited during our travels, all described in amongst others travel reports, hiking tours, driving-road descriptions and day trips.

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